Black as Day
by Kellson
Summary: You always thought vermin were coldhearted. You always thought that Salamandastron's fighters were noble. You always thought that good always defeats evil. Kell, a young fox in the Fraj Legion, can't tell the difference when both sides go over the end.
1. You've been tagged

Kell slicked his midnight-black fur back and pushed the tent flap open. After all, it is not everyday one meets one's warlord. This warlord was the type where he was encouraging to his army, friendly to his friends, and totally ruthless to his enemies. Sineon, Commander of the Fraj Legion, was a huge fox, with dagger sharp claws and paws the size of frying pans. His muscles rippled as he stood to greet his inferior.

Kell pushed back any doubts he had had and shook the older fox's paw. It was not a hard shake, but he could feel the power coursing through it. He bowed respectfully to his commander.

"Young Kell," the huge, silvery fox had a deep, melodious voice that carried well, especially when he was angry at someone. "Welcome."

"Thank you, sir." He nervously jammed his thumbs in his belt. "It is the greatest honor of my life to meet you." Showing respect sometimes meant the difference to whether you had ears or not.

Sineon smiled. "Please, sit down."

They sat. Kell heard singing and laughing of the Fraj outside. Fraj were comprised of foxes, weasels, ferrets, stoats, and ermine. Rats were not allowed in; they were weak, sniveling creatures. Only a few rats had ever been powerful in the Legion's eyes, and they all had gone crazy. Says something about their race, doesn't it.

The silver fox held several bark scrolls in his paw. They were covered in charcoal scrawl, and he squinted to read it.

"Jezzen, the poor idiot. Can't write worth acorns. Ah well. Let's see…the battle of Salamandastron, day four. Says in the report that you led a group of fellow foxes around the mountain, up the walls, and into the fortress. Arrl was in that group, wasn't he? Yes. He's got a good memory, told me many tales about the other side of the battle." The Legion had been fighting with Salamandastron's hares for a week, and the battle so far was a draw. The Badger Lord, Yulff, wielded a huge longsword and mourning star. He had so far guarded the gates single handedly, and the army of vermin had yet to breach the front entrance. Kell's strike team were the only Fraj to make it inside…and out again.

"Hmmm…took out some hares, grabbed some weapons…that's very good, you know, we always need more arrows. Found your way into the forge, got holed up there, fought your way out, ran around to the lower levels, killed some more hares, ran out the entrance while the badger wasn't looking. Very nice. Oh, you shot him in the arm? Oh, I wish I had been there." The huge fox grinned.

"Thank you sir. He roared at me for a while from the door as I fought more hares. Something about 'dratted whelp of a inkpot' or some such drivel."

His commander chuckled. "Well, you have definitely proven yourself to be more than capable of leading and fighting. You use that sword there?"

Kellson drew his long, slightly curved sword and offered it hilt first to the Fraj leader. It was long, thin, and had a smallish round guard, only an inch in diameter.

His leader growled approvingly and stuck it in the sand in front of him. "Balanced. Kell, I need young creatures like you, ready to take up the helm of responsibility, who can lead with brains and guts, as well as physical prowess. I hereby give you the power of a Captain in my army."

Kell nearly toppled off of his seat. He bowed low, and ventured a question through the joy that coursed through him. "Who do I lead, sir?"

The big fox chuckled. "Well, I've don't normally give younger beasts very many men, or very good men…but then again, the younger beasts are usually ambitious morons that would fight for a crust of bread. However, I have actually watched you in action. You took out five or six of the hare's commanders, that right? That's incredible for one your age."

Kell blushed. "They were only captains, sir."

"Nevertheless…I'll make you a deal. Instead of giving you some harebrained troop of freshly recruited buffoons, you can choose six other beasts, besides yourself, to make into a strike team. A sort of squad, if you will. Choose someone that you know you can trust, can fight, and won't back out of danger. Deal?"

"Deal."

Kell rose, bowed again, and tugged his sword free of the ground. He turned and was about to go, when the big fox stopped him.

"One more thing. Next time you decide to go shoot a badger, invite me."

Kell grinned hugely. "That's a promise, sir."

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT FOUR FOXES SNUCK IN HERE, KILLED FIFTEEN GOOD HARES, SHOT ME, KILLED FIVE OFFICERS, AND RAN AWAY _ALIVE_?"

Colonel Quincy stammered to his angry badger friend. "Well, sah, they did have the element of surprise with the-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Yulff, ruler of Salamandastron, ripped the gauze away from his shoulder, roaring in anger. "I WANT THOSE FOXES DEAD!"

Quincy laid a placating paw on the trembling badger's arm. "Come now, sah, do you really think the blighters did that by themselves, wot? They must've been trained by the top fox himself!"

Sergeant Dufraine nodded agreement. "If we was tah capture tha fox and his buddies, we could worm informinations out of 'em, sah."

Quincy laid a paw over his eyes. Sarge often mispronounced things, and this wasn't the best time to do it. Yulff, however, looked thoughtful.

"You may be right. He's the only black fox they have, he's very noticeable. Tell your hares to capture on sight. We need information, and revenge for a score of good fighting hares."


	2. Sneaking In

"Move out, you slimetoads! We're goin' foragin'!" A roar of approval sounded throughout the Fraj Legion at the Sergeant's words. They had not eaten well for a few days.

The weaker, newer Fraj marched out to forage, while the veterans stayed behind to guard the camp. Kell lay back on the sand and heard a light footfall behind him.

"Hear the news, Fann?"

Fann, a maroon colored fox, sat down beside him. "What?"

"Sineon made me a captain."

Fann slowly blinked. "You? You've hardly been here two seasons."

"And you've only been here three, brother."

"Still…who are you gonna command?"

Kell moved his head slowly until it faced his older brother. "Five creatures, not including myself."

"A strike team?"

"Yep."

"Interesting."

"Uh-huh. You're on, by the way."

"Oh, I knew that," Fann said. "I'm the best archer you can pick that isn't bad or a bully. Plus I'm your brother."

"Mmm. I need four others. Veterans, not rookies."

Fann comtemplated. "How about Igna? You're gonna need someone skilled in the ways of stealth, if you're gonna have a strike team."

"Aye. I was also thinking about Marc. He's a good ferret, expert with the saber."

"You need two more. Focus on the skills that they have. You have an archer, swordsbeast, and stealth. How about a hand to hand specialist?"

"I could get Blecker. He's a tad spooky, but he can seriously kill with his paws."

Fann took a glance at the weasel. "Very slinky. Knows how to kill."

Kell yawned and got up slowly. "Let's go ask 'em. We'll worry about the last one later."

All their candidates agreed to help, though Igna, a descendent of the infamous Marlfoxes, took a bit of persuading.

"Take orders from a two season cutthroat?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Kell nodded. "Or you could just go charge the gates with the rest of the Fraj."

"Nah, I'll do it. Suicide by running around in that rock is better suicide by throwing myself at a psychotic badger."

That left them one more space on the team. Eventually, Kell chose Zarr, a snow white ermine. After they left his campfire (Slightly bemused at Zarr's response, which was only a nod with his eyes closed), Fann turned to his brother.

"Why'd you choose him?"

Kell thought for a moment. "He's a mixture of the four of you. I've watched him fight, he does it all. Shoot, kick, chop, whatever. He can do all that stuff. I need someone well rounded."

They reached Sineon's tent. Kell lightly tapped the flap. "Captain Kell reporting, sir!"

Pause. "Come in."

Inside, Sineon was looking at a map of some sort, but tucked it away as the fox brothers walked in.

"Hello, Kell. Your brother, Fann, is it? Pleasure. So, to business," he cracked his knuckles. "Your squad is assembled?"

"Yes sir. Besides myself and Fann, we have Igna, Zarr, Marc, and Blecker."

"Good choices. Got a well rounded team there," Kell threw Fann an I-told-you-so glance. "Well, if you and your company is ready, I have a task set."

Kell nodded.

"I want you to sneak in there and sprinkle this powder onto all of their food. No, it's not poison," he smiled, shaking a small vial full of green powder. "It will merely make them fall asleep for a while. During that time, we can get inside, lock them up, and then do what we please. Sell them, use them as servants…of course, the effects won't take place until an hour or so after they eat the knockout, so they won't become suspicious. Try not to kill anyone. We don't want them to think that we were inside the mountain." He handed Kell the vial. "Don't fail me."

Kell saluted, as did Fann. "We'll leave right away sir."

They walked out of the tent to gather the team.

No one in the mountain fortress of Salamandastron stirred but the sentries as the blanket of darkness stifled the world. No one was at the top of the mountain, so no one noticed six dark shapes, hooded and cloaked, sneak through a window and into the passageway.

Kell waved a hand, and his squad silently padded after him towards the kitchens. A tubby, sleeping hare snuffled a bit in his dreams, and they stopped to wait until he fell silent again. Quickly, they opened the door to the mess hall.

No one stirred, but there were several cooks laying around sleeping. Kell nodded slightly to his team. As one, they moved to the food stores.

In a few minutes, all the food had been dosed. _So far_, Kell thought happily, _so­_-

"Attack! Wake up chaps! They're trying to poison our flippin' food, wot!"

_Good._

Yells started floating in to the mess hall. Kell swore under his breath. "Ditch the cloaks!" he yelled, dropping his own and vaulting over the tables. Behind him, he heard a semi-set table crash onto its side as Fann tripped. He ran back to him, shouting, "Get out!" to his squad.

"Get on your feet, bro!" He hauled him up and raced to the door. Blecke grabbed the handle, but it was locked.

CRUNCH.

They charged past the splinters of what used to be a door, and Blecke ran even with a slightly sore footpaw.

Fann's bow twanged, and a bounding hare crumpled with an arrow in his gut. Running to the top of the mountain, they slid down the rope, one by one.

Only Kell and Fann were left. "Get down there!"

Fann shook his head, shooting another hare that was galloping up the stairs. "No!"

"I said _go_!"

Kell grabbed his brother and dumped him onto the rope, and watched him slide down. He blocked a thrust from a lean hare and skewered him.

"I say, it's the blinkin' black fox! Get him alive!"

_Shades. Time to go._

He jumped on the rope, and slid down, cursing as his hands were burned. Jumping up on the sand, he saw his brother running towards him. Kell waved him off.

"Back to the camp!"

They raced back to the Legion, with the hares hot on their heels.

"Hares at four o'clock! Wake up! _Wake up_!" Fann screamed.

Arrows flew past them into the night. The fox brothers glanced at each other and set off in opposite directions, zigzagging and twisting. Kell rolled on the ground to avoid a slingstone the size of an apple. He popped back up. "Get up! Fraj! Get uuuuuup!"

Suddenly, Igna materialized beside him, and he thought he could see Blecker running towards them, throwing balanced knives into the hares. Twisting, Kell drew his bow and fired off some arrows before taking off again.

Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay, my computer was in the shop (some bright spark at my house tried to uninstall Internet Explorer). Rinkul- Hmmm. Rainbow Six…meh. Kell's kill tally is over about a week, and he didn't kill all of those hares. He had some help from a few friends, namely Fann. Who's to say they had to go sword to sword, not shoot them, right? The strike team idea is going to develop more into, say, Master Chief's connection to fellow squad members in Pre-Halo, except it will be more of a group of friends rather than serious acquaintances set out to kill everything that moves.


	3. Hare in Stripes

Kell drew his sword and charged into the fray. Thousands of creatures threw themselves wildly at one another. He parried a thrust from a hare and spun, jumping over a saber swing and slicing towards the hare's head. The hare ducked and feinted left, then hacked right. The midnight black fox rolled on the ground behind the hare and stabbed him in the back with a dagger, than raced on. He could hear Fann over the shouting.

"Come on, you slimy rabbits, I'm gonna hang yer ears off of my belt and make them into a cloak!"

Kell grinned, neatly tripped an oncoming hare with a large mustache, and ran towards his brother. The older maroon fox yelled as he fought.

"Haha, take that, and this! Gotcha! Oi, Kell! That's six!"

"Just got my ninth!" They referred to the game they played over the long battles, accumulating kills.

"Ah, snakespit!" Fann tripped, and a hare came running toward him, brandishing a rapier. Kell jumped and kicked out, catching the hare on the chin, then stabbed with both blades, dagger and sword. The hare fell over, breathing out her last. He picked his brother fox up and started running again.

"You okay?"

Fann dusted himself off. "That one should have counted as mine."

Kell rolled his eyes and punched a hare hard. He went down like a sack of bricks. Ignoring the downed hare, he scanned the darkness. A huge figure was standing in front of the main gates, swinging an enormous battle ax, the size of two Kells put together. He swore loudly and sheathed his dagger.

"It's the badger. Might as well pack it in."

Fann walked up, nodding towards the unconscious hare. "What about him?"

Grabbing a piece of rope off the ground, Kell began to tie up the hare. "We'll take him to Sineon."

Together, they hauled the fallen hare up the beach towards the camp. The foragers had come back and were standing guard, quite sloppily, Kell thought. He kicked a spear out from under a sleeping stoat who had been leaning on it. "Get up!"

The stoat, a large specimen that was a little taller than Kell named Bluddpaw, snarled. "Keep yer paws offa me, yew idiot ashpile."

Kell flourished the captain's cloak (which was embroidered in purple patterns) in the stoat's face. "And you show respect to a Captain, inkpaw, or I'll have you sent out to the front lines to fight the badger."

Bluddpaw sneered. "Yew little snip. Yer just a sad wannabe that killed a few o' those big rabbits. I could'a killed twice what youse killed."

Kell nodded. "I agree. Your face hurts far more than any blade I've ever seen."

With that, he tripped Bluddpaw with a spear he had picked up and walked on, ignoring the stoat's curses. Fann smiled.

"Nice one, little brother."

"Told you I don't need you to fight my battles. Of course, next time you can insult him. It's your turn. Oh, hold on." He gave the moaning hare a sharp rap between the ears. "Don't want him waking up on us. Get the door."

Fann mock saluted and pulled the tent flap door open. Sineon was talking to his seer, a vixen named Pharon, but broke off as they entered.

"Captain Kell reporting in with a prisoner, sir."

The big fox smiled wickedly. "Pharon, you won't be killed today. You got the future right just before the future got you." She bowed, and Sineon nodded towards the prison tent outside. "Take that hare to the cell. But first, how did your mission go?"

Kell winced. "While we did successfully infiltrate the mountain and booby trap their food, they noticed us when we were leaving. The thing is, they thought we were going _in_ to the larders, not out."

Sineon rubbed his chin. "Hmm…we will have to wait and see. The potion will take effect an hour after they eat it, and it keeps them out all day. We will attack at two hours past noontide. That should let all of them have the opportunity to eat and drink their fill. Legionare Fann!"

Fann snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"You are in charge of the prisoner and interrogation. Ask him if the hares have sent out word to their friends in Mossflower wood: Redwall warriors, Guosim shrews, anyone. Find out if they have reinforcements, plans…you get the picture. Oh yes, one more thing. Don't spare the whips."

Fann nodded. Kell cringed inwardly at the evil looking face that the Fraj leader made as he stared at the prisoner.

* * *

Lance Corporal Biffscut Longpaw the Third awoke slowly. The first thing he noticed was that his paws were tied. The second was that their were two foxes, a weasel, and an ermine standing above him. A black fox stepped forward.

"Name."

Kell didn't say it as a question, but as a statement. The hares would be more impressed and liable to talk if they thought that the 'evil, black-hearted vermin' wouldn't resort to beating the fluff out of a helpless prisoner.

The hare spat.

"Hare, I don't even care what your name is, it's just for our interrogation purposes. Just give me your name."

"Hah!" L.C. Longpaw curled his lip. "Trying to use me as bait for a trap for Lord Yulff, eh, laddie buck? Well it won't work, you snobby nosed inkpot of a fox!"

Kell rolled his eyes. "All you hares look alike."

"That's what you think."

"Fine," Kell blew out a long, slow breath in frustration. "My name is Kell. It's only polite to give me your name in exchange."

The hare eyed him coldly, then said, "Lance Corporal Biffscut Longpaw III. It isn't a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise."

Fann stepped forward, as did the weasel and ermine. "Longpaw, I'll give you one chance before I let these two onto you. They may look like last season's pillows, but they sure as hell know how to get some information out of you."

"You can take your pillows and stuff it up your nose, fox!"

Kell stepped in. "Fann, Mingo, Manutd, would you mind stepping outside for a few minutes?"

Fann sighed, then nodded. They walked outside, leaving Kell alone with the bound hare.

Kell squatted down. "Listen, Corporal, you do NOT want those two on you. Not at all. If you tell me what I want to know now, you can avoid it."

The hare snorted. "I can take what those to ragamuffins have."

"Hare. You can't take it. You. Can not. Take. It. Understand? They aren't your regular hordebeasts, they are two of the most sadistic, bloodthirsty pack animals that you will ever see in your entire life. They'll stuff you're head under water until you nearly pass out, take you out, and do it again. They will drip water on your head for days, continuously. A squirrel they did that to killed himself on the third day; it drove him crazy. They will set a delicious dinner right in front of you, close enough to taste in the air, but you won't be able to reach it. _You can't hold out!_"

Longpaw didn't say a word. Kell sighed, stood up, and left.

"Come on Fann, we're leaving. You two can start. You know what to do."

The weasel and ermine fairly jumped into the tent. Fann watched them, then shook his head.

"It's brave of that hare to do this, but he won't hold out."

"So I told him, he won't listen."

"Surprised?"

"Not really."

"Yeah."

Igna materialized beside them. "How'd it go?"

"Guess."

"Ah. I see. It's creatures like those two that give us bad names."

"You just now figured that out?"

They fell silent. The crickets started to stop chirping as the sun continued poking itself into the sky.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, keep 'em coming, encouragement food is good for the hands whilst typing ). I'll get more into what's going on in a general view for the entire armies next chapter, as well as some background on Kell and Co.


	4. Unfair Publicity

The foragers came back from trip to find a tired but happy group of veterans partying. The noon sun was beating on their heads like an oven, so they cooled off in the surf, laughing and playing like young ones. Kell shook his head, grinning, at Marc, who was doing cartwheels and imitations of hares.

"By the left, I'll smite yah, eh, eh, you blaggard! Wot? Wot! Wotwotwot!"

Fann walked up, leaning on his ash longbow. "So Sineon's letting them have a bit of fun before we go check out our work?"

"Aye. We leave in two hours." Kell sighed, gazed out past the rolling tide, and flopped down on the sand. "Fann?"

"Mm?"

"Do you ever feel like the world is against you?"

Fann played with a tiny crab, letting it run over his paws. "Every now and again. No one likes vermin but vermin. If you go up to, say, a woodlander, you are automatically a grubby, dirty, evil fleabag who should be taught a lesson. Same with hares and badgers, except they'll kill you on sight most of the time."

Kell nodded. "That's what I was thinking. That hare earlier got me thinking. He kept acting like I was completely and utterly evil, and thought the same of you and those two torturers. It drives me crazy. I'm just a Legionnaire. I don't have anything against hares in general, but we're at war! I'm supposed to kill them in war."

"Yeah, but they don't care. They never have, never do, and never will. To them, we're just another evil face to be obliterated."

They both fell silent, basking in the warm sun. Kell thought of every stereotype of a vermin that he could think of. _Bully, ruffian, dirty, smelly, fat, evil, killer, doesn't care about anyone but himself, kill his mother for a crust of bread_…that's enough to drive anyone to be mean, if they are thought to be like that, he thought.

Sineon pounded on the doors futilely with his paws. He turned to the Fraj.

"It's no use. Captain Ringlan, get your axemen and get us a battering ram. Captain Kell, sneak in and try to open the door."

Ringlan, a sour looking weasel who lead the squad of sappers that the Legion had, set off towards the woods with about a hundred at his back. Kell saluted, whistled, and started to climb the rocks. He could hear the rest of his squad underneath him. Slipping through an archery slit, he unsheathed his sword. Fann, Igna, Blecker, Marc, and Zarr all followed him into the cavern. There was no one in sight.

Kell grabbed a torch and set off at a run through the tunnels as his men—were they his friends, now, after all they had been through? Fann was, for sure—drew their preferred weapons: Fann, a bow and arrows, with a spear for good measure; Igna, a sword; Marc, a curved, shining saber; Blecker, balanced throwing knives; and Zarr, a sword and flail.

They could hear the thousands of Fraj below them, impatient and waiting. However, there was not a hare in sight. Kell shrugged, and walked into the main corridor to the bottom levels. One more door, and they would be at the entrance hall, and the main gate.

Sadly (and truly not unexpectedly), the door was locked.

The door that they had came through was snapped shut by a tough looking hare with a lance. They were trapped.

Hares dropped from concealed holes in the ceiling down to the ground; they came up from trapdoors as well. The sturdy hare that had shut the door called out in a loud, booming voice.

"Put down your weapons, you cringing daisies, or we'll skewer you!"

Kell looked around. Not one of his members dropped their blades, and, he was pleased to see, none of them were 'cringing'.

The hare sighed sarcastically. "We warned you, you black-hearted hooligans. Chaaaaaaaaaaarge!"

The hares pressed in around them, slashing shining blades. Phan's bow hummed five times, then dropped as he swung his spear into the mass of ears, scuts, and fur. Kell parried frantically, desperate not to be caught napping. One trip would make you a trampled beast in the room. He could hear Blecker's paws beating out a steady rhythm into hares. Igna had camoflauged himself, dispatching hares with dagger and sword. Zarr was grinning, swinging his flail into the hares. Kell vaulted over a surprised looking hare with a rapier to the door, smashing the hare who had been talking earlier in the chin with his sword hilt.

"Mates!"

Blecker and Igna both rolled under the hares and out the door. Zarr swung one last time into the hares, then ran after the others. Marc followed him, tripping over a huge, golden mass that was stumping up to the room.

The door slammed shut, and as if on cue, the hares stopped fighting. Fann and Kell were back to back.

"Welcome to Salamandastron."

A huge, golden badger locked the door and threw away the key somewhere into the room, under hare footpaws. Planting his feet, he unsheathed an enormous broadsword. The hares stepped back, and Kell and Fann were left to fight Lord Yulff, the Badger Lord of Salamandastron.

Kell heard his brother whisper, "Oh, _hell_, no."

Yulff charged, smashing Kell's blade to the ground, spinning, and running Fann through.

As if in slow motion, Fann gasped sharply, sank to his knees, and fell.

Kell stared, uncomprehending, then roared.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Grabbing Fann's spear, he leapt into the hares, his eyes turning red, slaying everything in sight. He couldn't see the enemy. All he saw was his older, beloved brother, sinking down, falling, blood oozing from his chest.

Everything went black, and an enormous pain erupted on the back of his head. Kell fell down and knew no more.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I, too, grow tired of Mr. Jacques writing about 'cowardly' or 'bullying' vermin. The label of 'vermin' gives them a bad name right off the bat. And, for clarification: Fann's dead, Kell's alive. Sorry. Had to do it, based on personal reasons. Fox Pride!


End file.
